Thread: 428 FE engine codes

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I am a newcomer to the FE world. I am driving at present a '49 F1 Ford pickup streetrod; powered by a Chevy engine. It has been my daily driver for 4 years now. I am trying to remedy the Chevy power situation. I have acquired a 428 that was originally in a '66 Mercury Comet/Cyclone. The car was rolled back in 1969 and totalled. The engine has been in storage and is not locked up amazingly enuf. The oil filter, fuel pump/filter, intake, oil pan and valve covers are still sealed and it has been guaranteed to be a virgin piece of steel.
I found the aluminum engine tag under the coil bracket and can not decipher some of the data it contains.
The top line of data is: 428 66 1 (with the circled Ford insignia next to the 1)
The bottom line of data is: 5 J 403 S

The "428" & the "66" is readily decipherable.
The "1" designator in the top line would seem to be an engine modification series notation; but I can't get any info on what it really means.

The "5 J" is the year and month the engine was produced; September 1965.
The "403 S" designators has me completely baffled. I have been on the NET for 5 hours and have not come up with the correct search to get a clue.
I would be forever gratefull if someone could educate me as to precisely what I have. I can't really build the engine correctly if I don't have it properly identified.
Thanks a million for the consideration.

Dwain Cleveland
Loganville, Ga.
770-617-9438 < Cell #

Look on the block for your casting #s



Reading Casting NumbersReading Casting Numbers
Casting numbers tell when a part was ORIGINALLY designed and what car it was
ORIGINALLY designed for. This does not mean that the part was not used on other
cars. For example, casting number C8OE-9430-D is an exhaust manifold for a 428
CJ Fairlane; however, it was also used on 428 CJ Mustangs.
Example:
The breakdown of casting number C8OE-9430-D is easy using the charts below:
C = Decade of 1960
8 = Year of the decade (8th year of 1960), 1968
O = Fairlane Car line / Manufacture code
E = Engine engineering department
9430 = Basic number for an exhaust manifold
N = Design change
Casting Number Breakdown Charts
Decade of Manufacture:
A = 1940
B = 1950
C = 1960
D = 1970
E = 1980
Year of Decade
The year of the decade is determined by adding a number (0-9) to the letter of
the decade. Example: C6 would be 1966, D0 would be 1970, D1 would be 1971.
Car Line/ Manufacture Codes
A = Galaxie
D = Falcon (60-69)
F = Outside USA, Trans Am racing
G = Comet / Montego
J = Industrial
M = Mercury
O = Fairlane / Torino
P = Autolite / Motorcraft
R = Rotunda
S = Thunderbird
T = Truck
V = Lincoln (61 - current)
Z = Mustang
Engineering Departments
A = Chassis
B = Body
E = Engine
F = Engine accessories
J = Autolite (67-72)
P = Automatic transmission
R = Manual transmission
W = Axle
X = Muscle parts program
Y = Lincoln / Mercury service parts
Z = Ford service parts
Basic Number
These identify the part, such as 6090 being a cylinder head or 9430 being an
exhaust manifold.
Design Change
A Basic part is made to fit many applications. Example:
DOZZ-7528-C is a clutch bar for a 390/428
DOZZ-7528-D is a clutch bar for a 351 W
DOZZ-7529-E is a clutch bar for a 302 Boss
Reading Casting Dates
Casting dates:
Casting dates show the exact day, month and year a certain part was made or
cast. The typical casting date looks like "6M08".
Breaking down a casting date:
6 = The year of the decade. "6" for 1976.
M = The letter of the month. (December)
08 = The day of the month. (8th)
First year month codes:
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugN/ASepOctNovDec

Second year month codes:
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
JanN/AFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

How do casting numbers appear?
Most casting numbers are stamped into the part itself, other have the number
molded on the part. Some casting numbers can be ink stamped while others are
printed on paper, which is then wraped around the part.
FE Casting Numbers
Blocks (C1AE8015C)
390 cid
C1AE-CC1AE-GC1AE-VC2AE-BC
C2AE-BEC2AE-BRC2AE-BSC2SE
C3SE-AC3AE-KYC3ME-BC3AE-AY
C4AE-DC4AE-FC5AE-AC5AE-B
C6MEC6ME-AC8AE-AC8AE-C
C8AE-ED3TE-1D3TE-ACD3TE-HA
D4TE-ACD7TE-BA

406 cid
C2AE-JC2AE-KC2AE-VC2AE-BD
C3AE-DC3AE-V

427 cid
C3AE-MC3AE-ABC3AE-ZC4AE
C4AE-AC5AE-AC5AE-EC5AE-D
C5AE-HC6AE-BC5JE-DC6JE-B
C6AE-CC6AE-DC7AE-AC7JE-A
C8AE-AC8AE-BC8AE-H

428 cid
C6AE-AC6AE-BC6AE-FC6ME
C6ME-AC7MEC7ME-AC8ME

Crankshafts
390 cid [3.78" stroke]
2UC3AE-DC4TE-6303-B
3UC3AE-EC4TZ-A
C1AEC3AE-UC4TZ-B
C1AE-AC3AZC6AE-A
C2AE-BC4AE-BC6TE-6303-C
C2AE-DC4AE-CC6TE-6303-E
C3AEC4AE-DD2TE-6303EA
C3AE-6303-EC4AE-A
C3AE-BC4AZ-A
C3AE-CC4AZ-J

406 cid [3.78" stroke]
2UC3AE-BC4AE-C
3UC3AE-CC4AE-D
C1AEC3AE-DC4AE-A
C1AE-AC3AE-EC4AZ-A
C2AE-BC3AE-UC4AZ-J
C2AE-DC3AZC4AZ-J
C3AEC4AE-BC4TZ-A
C3AE-6303-E C4TZ-B

410 cid [3.98" stroke]
1VAC8ME-AC9ZE-CIU
C6MEC9ZE-BC9ZE-DIUB

427 cid [3.78" stroke]
2UC3AE-BC4AE-C
3UC3AE-CC4AE-D
C1AEC3AE-DC4AE-A
C1AE-AC3AE-EC4AZ-A
C2AE-BC3AE-UC4AZ-J
C2AE-DC3AZC4AZ-J
C3AEC4AE-BC4TZ-A
C3AE-6303-E C4TZ-B

428 cid [3.98" stroke]
1VAC8ME-AC9ZE-CIUC2VE
C6MEC9ZE-BC9ZE-DIUBC6ME

It sounds like it's a 66 solid lifter PI engine. Sorry I'm not much help on the tag. Tell us more about it...intake aluminum??? block casting numbers?? etc... The above post is an excellent reference to start with. G.

Thanks for the info Viking. The Block casting #'s, except for the 352 on the end have been scrubbed. There appears to have been a large free-hand capitol letter "A" dragged on the surface of the fly-wheel end of the block with a stick welder; across the 352. The weld mark is just enough to make a discernable mark on the block. The cast iron intake casting number is C6AE with 9425-G under it; with a large "S" casting in front of both of those #'s.

FFR428, I'll just have to show my ignorance here; what does "PI" mean??
I can see on the block where the other numbers were took off with a grinder but I think I can raise them, with a chemical trick or two, enough to read them anyway.
This weekend I'll pop the heads off and check for the solid lifters; then open up the bottom end and hopefully I will find some numbers on the crank.
Thanks for the help guys. Have a great week.

PI means police interceptor and that is a good motor,I wish I had one for my 65 country squire.

Well the "A" on the back of the block was the way they marked them at the foundry. The "A" block was the std 428 block and the "C" was the CJ/SCJ. Although a few "A" blocks have been found in some CJ cars from the factory. If they were short on CJ blocks the next available one was the std 428 block. Supply and demand. Does the block have the double or triple webs at the crank supports? Check out this website www.428cobrajet.org you can compare the "A and C" blocks and see pics of each. Go to the component ID section. This will cover what you need to see and ID. You can also pop out the center freeze plug in the block and using a flashlight look for the"428" cast inside. Let us know what you find! G.

Dewitttwo

Are you sure it came out of a 66 Merc comet/cyclone and not a 69? The 428 was never offered in them in 66. Just the 390 GT as production and the 427 in a handful of of Factory built drag cars. Just checking.

If it has the sand scratch "A" I'd be pretty sure it's a 428. But as Duane pointed out the 66 did not get the 428. It might not have been the original engine then as I cannot remember when the foundry introduced the "A and C" on the blocks. It may have been in late 67 early 68 as the CJ was developed to tell the blocks apart on the assembly line. Before that it was just the std 428 and needed no "special" marks to tell the blocks apart. So you might be looking at a later block possibly. Duane, very good point. G.

I stand corrected. Before the CJ blocks the 390's were marked with the C to tell them apart from the A 428's and 352 had no markings at all. Who knew???

Hi folks.
I have the hood from the car the engine was in. It's from a 67 Cyclone GT. It appears to have had a ram-air assy. on the underside. Ram-air didn't start until '68, as far as I have been able to determine. Weird. A 428 was a special order option in '67 however. According to the Mercury folks in Detroit. According to the Mercury folks, if you had the money they would have put any available Ford production engine into a Cyclone.
Doesn't matter. I have enuf data for rebuilding the engine. It appears to be a 428 PI. The casting numbers say late '65-early '66 428 and the block has the re-inforced crank-saddle webbing; thanks FFR428. I'll keep you guys posted. Thanks a bunch.
Regards.
Dwain Cleveland

Came across a block the other day, with the Block casting of C8ME-A, a head casting of C8AE-H. The block number seems to suggest from everything that I have read that it would/could be a CJ/SCJ block- but on the back of the block, it had a "T" and not an A or an C. I am totally stumped... the ID guide on the 428 website doesn't have anything on this. Can anyone help me?
thanks

I've seen the "T" used in truck applications. The C8AE-H heads were also very common to lots of FE engines. Did you measure the bore of the block? Know about the drill bit test? G.